Walking doll



May 20, 1958 J. WE lH WALKING DOLL Filed March 8, 1957 ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Ofiice WALKING DOLL Julius Weill, Ozone Park, N. Y., assignor to Ideal Toy Corporation, Hollis, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application March 8, 1957, Serial No. 644,861

3 Claims. (Cl. 46-149) My invention relates to adoll of simple and sturdy'construction, said doll being a walking doll which is adjustable to a sitting position. and to a cross-thigh sittingposition.

The invention is explained in the annexed drawings and in the following-description.

Fig. 1 is aside elevation, partially in transverse vertical cross-section.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. '1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation, partially in lateral vertical cross-section.

Fig. 4 is a detail end elevation showing the top extension of the thigh and its end-collar.

Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of thigh, and itstop extension.

The doll has a torso 2, which has a front wall 2a and a rear wall2b. This torso 2 may be a one-piece molded torso, which is resilient, flexible and stretchable.

The lower limbs are :identical, save that the top extensio'ris of the thighs T and. TA are oppositely inwardly inclined towards the vertical axes of the torso 2. Also, the leg-parts L have respective right and left feet.

As shown in Fig. 3, each thigh T and TA has -a top extension '10, which has an axis which is inclined at an angle of about 45 degrees to the main body of said thigh.

v As'sho'wn inFig. 5, each said extension hasa-groove 11, which has walls 110 and 11b. The drawings are substantially to scale, and reference is made thereto as part of the'dis'closure. v

As also shown in Fig. 5, each said thigh-extension-10 has a 'coll'a'r 12.

Fig. 4 is an end-view which shows the details of collar 12 and the respective part of the thigh extension.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, each said collar 12 has a recess 14, which extends into the proximate end of the respective thigh-extension 10 Each'said r'ece'ss '14has a right-angular shape, as viewed in the end view of Fig. 4.

As viewed in Fig. 4, said recess 14 has an edge 16 in collar 12 and said edge 16 has an end-point 15, which is concentric with the circular part of the edge of collar 12.

As shown in Fig. 5, said recess 14 is tapered, to provide an inner, planar end-wall 18, whose plane is inclined to the plane of the exposed face of collar 12.

In the plane of collar 12, said recess 18 has an edge 17, which is perpendicular to the edge 16.

The illustrated walking movement which is provided by plate 7 may be replaced by other types of walking movement.

The transverse horizontal web 3 has a frontflange 4 and a rear flange 5, which are fixed respectively to the front and rear walls 2a and 2b of the torso.

Said web 3 has vertical, transverse flanges 9 and 9a.

A plate 7 is located below web 3. A vertical pivot 6 turnably connects plate 7 to web 3, so that plate 7 can be oscillated in the usual manner.

2,835,076 Patented May 20, 1958 2 This walking movement is novel, although a pivoted oscillating member is old.

The torso 2 has the usual hip-sockets, whose 'edge walls are flexible, resilient and stretchable.

The top extensions 10 of thighs T and TA can be inserted into torso 2 through the openings of said hipsockets, until the edge-walls of said hip-sockets are seated in the grooves 11. When the thigh-extensions 10 are thus assembled with the torso, each edge-wall of each hipsocket is located between and contacts with the respective groove-walls lla and 11b.

In said inserted position, one flange 8 is located in the respective recess 14, and the other flange 8a is located in the other recess 1 When both thighs T and TA are in the vertical position, the respective vertical flanges 8 and 8:1, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, have their outer vertical edges -'in contact with the respective edges 16 and said outer vertical edges of flanges 8 and 8a extend about midway into the recess 14, as measured on the horizontal lateral line of Fig. 3. That is, when both legs are vertical, the =flan'ges .8 and 8a do not contact with the inner end-walls 18- of recesses 14.

When both thighs T and TA are in vertical ,position, 'one of said thighs T and TA is turned rearward-1y in its hip-socket, a bearing for this purpose being :provid'ed by the respective .groove 11 and the-edge-wal-ls of the respec- Said pivoted plate 7 has upstanding flanges 8 and 8a.

tive hip-socket.

When-a thigh T or TA is thus turned rearwardly in its hip socket, the respective vertical edge 162push'es against the respective vertical flangeS .or 861, thus turningplatb 3 around its pivot 6, and thus turning the other thighfO'rwardly in'its hip socket.

Each thigh T and TA has adiaph'ragm -li9.' This diaphragm 19 may be cup-shaped, and the rounded top. end 22 of each leg L may lit in such cup-shaped diaphragm 19, to providea bearingfor the leg L.

A U-shaped metal clip 20 has-arms whichareanchored in and extend through openings of eachdiaphragm 19. The arms of said clip 20 are pivoted by tpivots -21 to legs L.

One end of an elastic (not shown'ymay be fixed to the cross-arm of-clip 20', and the-upper end-of -said elastic may be fixed to a cross-pinin -the respective thigh. Any kneejointmay be provided.

"Sittin'g position Both thighs T and TA may be turned forwardly, while the edge-walls of the two hip-sockets are "seated in the respective grooves '11, thus adjusting'the thighs to a sitting position, without crossing the thigh.

Sitting and crossed-thigh position When both thighs T and TA are in the sitting position, one or both thighs can be adjusted relative to the torso 2, in order to cross said thighs.

For this purpose, the thigh can be turned relative to the hip-socket, while the thigh is in forward horizontal position, so as to move the groove 11 outwardly of the hip-socket, to the broken-line position of Fig. 3. In said position, the unrecessed part of the edge-flange of collar 12 abuts the inner face of the respective part of the wall of the respective hip-socket, so that collar 12 then acts as a stop.

Each thigh T and TA can thus be easily shifted or adjusted into cross-position, and back to the fully inserted position shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3.

The thighs T and TA, including their collars 12, are of one-piece molded construction, and said thighs are flexible and resilient. Optionally, either the torso 2 or the thighs T may be rigid, but there is enough flexibility at each hip-socket, due to the flexibility of both the torso 3 2 and the thighs T and TA, or due to the flexibility of either the torso 2 or the thighs T and TA, to permit the collars 12 to be inserted through the hip-sockets, and to permit the easy removal of the groove-walls 11b from the hip-sockets, to shift the respective groove 11 to the broken-line position of Fig. 3.

The walking movement may be omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention. Even without the walking movement, I provide a very simple, cheap and efficient construction to adjust the doll to a crossedthigh position.

If the walking movement is omitted, as is optional, the recesses 14 may be omitted. In such case, each collar 12 has a complete circular edge.

While only one thigh may be movable outwardly t the broken-line position of Fig. 3 to a thigh-cross position, it is preferred that both thighs are thus outwardly movable.

During the walking movement of said thighs T and TA, the flanges 8 and 8a, which are at opposite sides of pivot 6, extend at all times into the recesses 14.

However, when both thighs T and TA are in forward, horizontal sitting positions, either in crossed or uncrossed position, said flanges 8 and 8a are out of said recesses 14.

Hence the recesses 14 are important for providing a walking doll which can also be adjusted to sitting position with the thighs crossed or uncrossed, but they are not necessary if the walking feature is omitted.

If the walking feature is included, and the thighs T and TA are moved from sitting position back to vertical position, the flanges 8 and 8a are restored to proper walking position.

That is, the vertical transverse flanges 9 and 9a of the web 3, limit the turning movement of flanges 8 and 8a relative to the vertical axis of pivot 6. Hence said flanges 8 and 8a can not move out of meshing position relative to the recesses 14, when the thighs are shifted from forward sitting position to vertical position.

I claim:

1. In combination, in a doll a torso which has a hipsocket, a thigh member which has an extension at its upper end, said extension being inclined inwardly relative to the body of said thigh member towards the axis of the torso, said extension having a stop-collar at its end, said extension also having a circumferential groove therein spaced longitudinally therealong from said stop collar, said collar and extension being insertible into said torso through the opening of a hip-socket in a fully inserted position of said collar, said opening having an edge-wall which is seated in said groove when said collar is thus fully inserted, said extension being movable longitudinally along its length outwardly relative to said hip-socket to a position in which said groove is spaced outwardly from the edge-wall of said opening of said socket and said collar abuts the inner face of said edge wall; said thigh being forwardly turnable in said hip-socket to a forward sitting position, said thigh being thus movable outwardly relative to said hip-socket to a thigh-crossing position.

2. In a combination in a doll, a torso which has a hip-socket, a thigh member having an extension at its upper end being inclined inwardly relative to the body of said thigh member towards the axis of the torso, said extension having a stop-collar at its end and a circumferential groove therein, said collar being insertable into said torso through the opening of the hip-socket in a fully inserted position of said collar, said opening having an edge-wall which is seated in said groove when said collar is thus fully inserted, said extension being movable longitudinally along its length outwardly relative to said hip-socket to a position in which said groove is spaced from the edge-wall of said opening of said socket and said collar abuts the inner face of said edge-wall, said thigh being forwardly turnable in said hip-socket to a forward sitting position, said thigh being thus movable outwardly relative to said hip-socket to a thigh-crossing position, each said thigh has a tapered recess extending from a part of said collar into the respective extension, each said recess having an edge in the respective collar, said torso has a pivoted walking device within said torso and connected to said torso, said pivoted walking device having flanges at the opposite sides of the pivot of said pivoted walking device, said flanges substantially abutting said edges in said collars when both thighs are vertical, said flanges extending into said recesses during the walking movement of said legs; said torso having means to limit the turning movement of said walking device to maintain said flanges in meshing position with said recesses, when said thighs are returned from sitting position to walking position.

3. A thigh construction for a doll having a torso, said torso having a hip-socket opening defined by resilient walls in which a thigh is received, a thigh including an inwardly directed extension having an end collar to be received in said torso through said opening, said end collar having a shoulder larger than said opening to prevent the removal of the collar and thigh from the opening and torso, said thigh being movable longitudinally along the length of its extension within said opening, and a groove in said extension extending peripherally thereabout at an angle relative to said collar, said groove being of a diameter smaller than that of said opening to receive and retain the resilient walls of said torso opening therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,271,711 Pallett Feb. 3. 1942 

